Ask Lisa: Silicone pans create more-level cake layers

Wednesday

Mar 22, 2017 at 11:05 AMMar 22, 2017 at 3:19 PM

Lisa Abraham More Content Now

Q: I have been watching “The Great British Baking Show.” Their cakes always bake with a nice flat top, not domed. Is it the ingredients, cake pans, or ovens? I would like to achieve the same results.— E. M., Gahanna, Ohio

A: Most likely, the cause of a domed top is the cake pans, particularly if you are using a cake mix and not making a cake from scratch.

To achieve a cake with no dome try using silicone baking pans.

The way metal pans conduct heat, the sides often bake and set sooner than the center. The center will continue to rise after the sides are done, creating the dome on top.

This doesn’t happen with silicone pans which conduct heat at a more even rate and therefore bake more even layers. The rubbery pans, however, need to be placed on a baking sheet before going into the oven.

When baking from scratch, it is possible your batter is too heavy and it is stopping your leavener from working. In this case, either use additional leavener or switch to a lighter flour, such as switching from all-purpose flour to cake flour.

Some bakers like the look of the domed top on a cake, others, however, prefer a flat surface. Remember, you can always use a large serrated knife to slice the top off a layer to make it flatter, too.